In 1891, Albert Parkington was working as a stoker at St Audry’s Hospital. His future wife, Ellen Stone, was a cook at the vicarage in Brandeston. They were married in Ipswich in the winter of 1892, shortly after their first child, William Albert, was born — three more sons, Oswald, Arthur and Cyril were to follow. In 1911, the family was living at the Asylum Waterworks on Station Road, where Albert was the engineer in charge.
In February 1912, their son, Arthur, joined the navy as a Boy Second Class at HMS Ganges, their training base in Shotley, Suffolk. Sadly, he was taken ill with meningitis and died the following May. Two of Albert and Ellen's remaining sons, William and Oswald, served during the war. Their youngest son, Cyril, was not old enough.